Animals of the knob...

I have good intentions.  I start flipping through the pictures, the first few bring smiles and pleasent thoughts of reminising; but soon my emotions turn to awwww followed by sniffles.  I just don't know how to interpret all the various emotions I am feeling right now.  Just minutes ago I was outside, toes curled over the edge of the hillside overlooking the bay.  I thought to myself, last full moon here at the 'knob.   I continued to question why it is I am having such a hard time?  I knew it would be hard, but it's still all so confusing.  Ladies and Gentlemen, don't let me fool you, things could not have lined up better; its hard to argue against what seems to be fact; it is all just meant to be.  We did well, we quite possibly saved a magical place and homestead from being torn down and built upon.  We bought our first place together, learned to become comfortable with who we are (okay still working on that, he is still annoying sometimes... just kidding) we learned to be shepherds, ride a clydesdale and remodel every square foot of this place!  But alas, the chapter here has closed and it is time to move forward.   


But still.  It's difficult for me!  As I flipped through the pictures, I found some of the first animals to visit the knob.  I had already been keeping chickens for about a year when I came up with this great idea.  I of course couldn't just buy new chicks, I wanted to hatch and raise my own.  So, I built an isolated breeding pen for each species and set up pure breeding pairs.  Eggs, brooding hens and voila, I hatched my own chicks. 

 Of course there was Drogo, named after the parishiner of good shepherds, St. Drogo.  What a character.  Full of sas, but ever dutiful, Drogo was so patient with us as we learned our new roles as shepherds.  He fit in with the ladies, protected the energetic lambs and minded the rams the few times they had to interact.  Drogo was purchased along with the sheep.  They traveled together and now reside on their new farm in Wisconsin (Observatory Hill Farm). 



The original first 7 ladies of Windy Knob and their first night fall at the farm



Soon after the sheep of Windy Knob arrived in 2009.  A dual purpose sheep, they lived up to be everything I had expected.   A lot of lessons learned, lots of lambs born and a lot of late nights later, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It's just funny looking back, as I even find myself going "wait you then did what? Ulicny what were you thinking?" 

Back in the day...

Moving is more difficult then I remember.  Sorting through stuff, finding a new place to put it...  I spend hours packing and shuffling tons of stuff only to load the truck and come back to something that doesn't look like I even made a dent.  And I don't even have that much stuff! 

I'm trying to set aside time to reflect and think of all the memories here at Windy Knob.  When looking back, it's hard not to start at the very beginning; May of 2008.  Just the other day I came across a letter from the previous owners which had been dropped off on our first morning in the house.  "To The New Home Owners" its read, and it spoke of what a magical place the farm is.  And you know what Sheila, you were absolutely right.  Windy Knob lived up to every expectation I had and then some!  It truly is a wonderful place.  That letter meant a lot to me as I'm a sentimental guy (some of you laugh, go ahead, but I am dang it) and will cherrish it for years to come.  I don't have anything but positive things to say about this experience and will want to look back years from now and reflect on it.  And when I pull that letter out and read it, I can still feel myself standing there in the dark brown panelling of the 1970's kitchen, reading the letter on top of the harvest gold laminate countertops with loose linoelum square tiles shuffling under my feet.  But you know what, the view was just as incredible that day as it is right now...

One of my favorite things is finishing a project and looking back at what it was.  It was almost comical to me when I came across the orignal appraisal dated April of 2008.  It shows the exterior of the house and a few interior pictures.  My oh my we have come a long way! But even so, I was still enamered with the place back then, just as I am today. 

Sign Here.

May 1st 2008 was the day Dan and I moved into our house, which would soon retain the name “Windy Knob.” It was an incredible feeling; purchasing our first house together, going from our “first homes” and making this huge step (okay more like leap) in caliber of home and connecting with the nostalgia and history of a truly unique property. I distinctly remember our first night, eating pizza on a set of crummy old fold out chairs placed smack dab in front of the big picture window. We slurped down cheese and pepperoni while gazing out over Grand Traverse Bay as if we owned every gallon. Potential filled the air, and I was bursting at the seams with anticipation of what could come from our new “farm.”

And with that I’m announcing today, that May 1st 2013, will be our last day here at Windy Knob Farms. Even the move out date is poetic; five years to the day.

Remodels. Sheep. Chickens. Dogs. Books. Horses. Lambs. Cats. Family. Remodels. Magazines…

My head spins just thinking about all that has happen in this five year span. Oddly enough I feel like I was able to define and come to terms with myself and who I am, just to end up lost again in the end. And of course I ask myself, as my family has (as well as the buyers in fact) how could you leave such a place?

The irony is despite all the steps that had to take place along the way for this sale to occur, I’m not sure how to leave it, it just seems to have happened. I had to find a place for the sheep and lambs and to not have them separated from each other, find a home for all the hardworking chickens that laid eggs for us, a home other than an oven, a farm full of “stuff” (you’d be amazed how much stuff can accumulate when there is space to be had), come to agreements with realtors and of course perspective buyers: all of this had to have the planets align and God to nod his head, so it’s very calculated, but my heart feels like it just happened. Momentum started with an idea, and while I have no clue where it’s taking me, certainly, I’m going somewhere.

I will sob like a baby when I close that door for the last time. I know the same water I will drive by time and time again will never look the same as it did from the window seat I built, but we should embrace change. And I am grateful for the experience and everything I learned in this process, the skills I picked up along the way. And yes, the sale was a positive thing and our hard work paid off, but as they say, the memories will last forever.

I wanted to honor Windy Knob so to speak, and as a form of self-help therapy, I’m going to write about my top ten memories for the final 10 days in the house. And like any journey in life there have certainly been some serious ups and downs over the five year period; moments that were no fault of the farm, but moments attached with living here. It’s my goal to reflect on the positive, and to make a toast I suppose, to the farm and the great memories I leave here with. I will work to accompany each with a photograph, even amidst the boxes and newly released “fur-bunnies.”

If you are up for it, “sign here;” the closing has occurred, it’s time to celebrate.

Let the countdown begin. Here’s to the top ten of Windy Knob.

Marek